PUHI — Saturday night capped an exciting day for Pete Oliver of Anahola, as he watched daughter Mi Nei Oliver be crowned Miss Garden Isle 2004 before an audience of several hundred cheering, hooting fans at the Kaua‘i Community College
PUHI — Saturday night capped an exciting day for Pete Oliver of Anahola, as he watched daughter Mi Nei Oliver be crowned Miss Garden Isle 2004 before an audience of several hundred cheering, hooting fans at the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center here.
Earlier in the evening, Pete Oliver was outside the auditorium catching his last breath of the cool evening air before adjourning to the theater, joking, “I’ve had enough already.”
That was before Mi Nei Oliver captivated the audience with her Tahitian-dance number that allowed her to soar above the field of nine contestants highlighted by her tifene (duck-walk-like move) that put her ahead of two other contestants who also offered Tahitian-dance routines in the talent phase of the pageant.
Mi Nei Oliver captured the talent competition en route to being named Miss Garden Isle 2004.
Sonya Balmores, whose ambition is to become an actress, director, or producer in film or television, took the lion’s share of special awards in the dual-queen pageant.
Balmores won the aloha-spirit and best in swimsuit awards, and ended as second runner-up.
Meleanela Cachero-Wimbish of the Big Island was voted the most congenial by her fellow contestants.
First runner-up in the Miss Garden Isle portion of the two-pageant event was Shyanne Makanani Telles, whose goal is to open her own dance studio for dance students of all ages.
That was her pageant platform, which she brought to the stage with a rendering of a hula ‘auwana depicting the fire-goddess Pele.
Certain of the more-complex segments of her presentation extracted cheers from the audience.
Sheri Lynn Haunani Canopin, a graduate of Castle High School, was named Miss Kaua‘i 2004 before Mi Nei Oliver received her crown from Miss Garden Isle 2003 Olena Rubin and Miss Hawai‘i 2003 Kanoelani Gibson.
Rose “Loke” Dahle, pageant director, announced that over $30,000 in college grants were awarded during the pageant that is a part of the Miss America organization.
Both Canopin and Oliver will be part of the field vying for the Miss Hawai‘i 2004 crown in June.
Other contestants in the Saturday-night pageant included Karlee Malia Martin, May Cacal, Michelle Rundbaken and Alana Nicole Brun.
As the audience adjourned from the evening of excitement, Pete Oliver was found making his way out the door, a big smile gracing his face.
Saturday had indeed been a most exciting day for the Oliver family of Anahola.
Sports Editor Dennis Fujimoto may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
